


Sunshine

by alienchrist



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 23:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alienchrist/pseuds/alienchrist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Armin shares a surprisingly quiet moment with Eren, and it's like the first time they've seen the sun shine in ages.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this](http://mirrorshards.tumblr.com/post/52825554487/why-is-no-one-shipping-you) heartwarming picture:
> 
> by the incredibly talented mirrorshards on tumblr, and originally posted as a [reblog fic](http://mirrorshards.tumblr.com/post/52825554487/why-is-no-one-shipping-you).

Armin tries to find a spot of quiet away from the other cadets when he can, resting in the grass. His eyes are closed but he’s not sleeping so much as trying to remember passages of books and their tiny, intricate illustrations, attempting to reassemble years of reading into one coherent sum. The blow that laid him down this morning during training probably knocked an entire chapter out of his head, but this is still where he wants to be. Where he should be, even if it kills him.

When he hears Eren approach he assumes he’ll be treated to a lecture. Fair enough. He’ll let his friend drag him up to spar or drill or whatever. Armin is exhausted, but Eren is indomitable. For Eren, Armin will always be prepared to give to his last. He has to, just to keep up.

“There you are. Sleeping?”

“Eren, I—” Armin sits up, readying embarrassed excuses, but is surprised to see Eren smiling.

Eren sits, and pats his thigh. Blinking a little, Armin settles his head on Eren’s thigh. He smells like grass and leather, metal and sweat.”Comfortable?”

A lifetime ago Eren often slept like that, passed out against Armin or Mikasa. After awhile, they started refusing pillow duty: Eren was difficult to rouse when he slept and no one wanted to end up in a puddle of drool.

“It’s alright,” Armin says, almost apologetic when he settles between Armin’s legs instead of propped up against them. Eren is playing with Armin’s hair. It’s a ticklish feeling that almost makes Armin laugh. “You’re in a really good mood…” Armin tries not to sound worried, but how can he not be a little concerned? Eren’s not exactly the champion of cheerfulness.

“It’s a beautiful day. Like I saw sunlight for the first time in ages. Do you know what I mean?”

For the longest time Armin thought he would never be warm again: whole stretches of ugliness where the world was nothing but gray streaked with rust red, where the sky reflected nothing but grief and hunger. It’s not that Armin gave up on the sun completely. Giving up is impossible with Eren around. But Armin realizes he has been living like the light is gone from the world.

He looks up at the little rays of sunlight slipping through Eren’s hair and thinks,  _Ah, there it is. It was there all along, wasn’t it?_

Eren is leaning in so close their noses nearly touch. His fingers are still in Armin’s hair. Armin’s heart is pounding. Their lips might touch in a fraction of an inch, in the work of half a second.

Armin is so warm he almost forgets how cold it’s been.

“I think I do,” he laughs.


End file.
